


Thankful

by justsomebucky



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Drinking, F/M, Fist Fights, No Smut, but hey we all have before so, but if steamy makes you uncomfortable then I wouldn't read, he gets knocked tf out, implied sexytimes, it gets a little steamy, skeevy bar guy hits on you, thanksgiving dinner au, ya lie to your family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 17:33:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11491254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsomebucky/pseuds/justsomebucky
Summary: AU. The reader is used to living on her own terms, so when she’s suddenly jammed back in with her family for Thanksgiving, things get a little crazy. Will a stranger she met at the bar be the perfect one to help her through the holiday?





	1. Chapter 1

Thanksgiving Day was a mess.

It was just like last year, and the year before, and the year before…

Every year your parents asked you to come home, and every year you tried to say no (and ended up giving in). That’s why this year you were back in your hometown once again.

Nothing was out of the ordinary so far, but you were tense and waiting for something to go wrong. Your little sister was nagging you about anything and everything she could. Your mother was asking about your work, while your father wanted to know if you were seeing anyone, and if you were, why weren’t they willing to come home and have a nice chat with him?

So, yeah…Thanksgiving Day was a mess.

It’s not that you didn’t love your family. You loved them a lot, but you were so used to doing your own thing, that life in the same house felt too cramped now.

“Mom, Y/N isn’t listening to me!”

“Listen to your sister, dear,” your mom called from the kitchen, where her and your father were cooking. You were in the living room playing cards with your sister and trying your hardest to not punch her.

Your eyes flitted up to hers over your hand of cards. “What?”

“What?” she parroted back gleefully.

“I asked you first.” You could feel the beginning of a headache starting.

“I asked you first.”

Instead of raising your voice to tell your little sister to shut her face like you really wanted to do, you merely smiled at her. “Go fish.”

”You’re a fish!”

“Sweetie, be nice!”

“But she’s _stupid_!”

“All right.” You put your cards back into the center pile and stood up. “I’m sorry, guys, I tried. I need to get out of here.”

Your sister gasped like you’d just told her the world was ending. “But we weren’t finished with the game!”

“I’m finished. I will be home in a bit.” You threw on a hoodie and grabbed your purse and keys.

“It’ll only be about another hour, sweetie,” your mom told you as you walked through the room.

“You could at least stay and help your mother and me,” your father chided.

That was the last thing you heard before you shut the door behind you.

You knew it was rude and that you should be contributing, but if you didn’t get out of there soon you were gonna lose it, and you really didn’t want to end up in jail on a holiday.

* * *

 

It was the only bar open in at least ten miles, and it was shady as hell.

There was thick cigar smoke billowing through the air. A pool table sat in the corner, where two leather-clad muscle bros were pushing each other back and forth, arguing over who would buy the next round of beer.

The good news? You weren’t the only woman.

The bad news? You might as well have been, the way everyone turned to leer at you when you walked in. You were wearing jeans and a Yankees t-shirt under the zipped hoodie you had on, so it’s not like you were enticing them outright.

You took a deep breath and made your way over to a barstool away from other people.

“What’re you havin’?” A pretty young girl came over to you with a smile, her hands on her hips expectantly.

“Hey Wanda, I was here first!” You couldn’t see who had said it, but he didn’t sound happy.

She whirled around. “Give me a minute, asshole! Fresh blood here!” Wanda turned back to you, her sweet smile back on her face. “Decide yet?”

“I’ll have a Jack and Coke,” you said boldly. That wasn’t your normal drink of choice, but it seemed fitting for the dive bar atmosphere.

“Comin’ right up,” she said, winking at you. “Don’t worry, these boys don’t bite.”

“Yeah,” you muttered, glancing around you. “Hopefully not.”

The other patrons of the bar didn’t really surprise you. There was a middle-aged woman with a low-cut top sitting next to a heavy-set bearded man who was definitely enjoying the view. To their right, two frat boys who probably didn’t go home for break were doing shots.

In the corner opposite of you, there was a man with long brown hair tucked under a baseball cap, which was pulled low over his eyes. He was leaning against the bar top and staring down at the whiskey in front of him.

As if he heard your thoughts, he looked up at you, and you glanced away quickly. His eyes were bright blue with a hint of grey, like a storm approaching the ocean. They were beautiful even in the dim light.

Wanda came back with your drink, and you thanked her with a smile. You took a generous sip, appreciating the way the alcohol tasted, how it instantly calmed you. Sometimes a good buzz could make a world of difference when it came to anxiety.

Your family was making you pretty damn anxious, after all.

A hand on your shoulder made your back stiffen. You could smell him before you saw him, a combination of cigar and body odor. When you turned your head to look, you cringed.  

“Hey, darlin’.” One of the big biker dudes from the pool table fight had meandered over to you and was now trying to hit on you. Why, oh why had you come here alone? What were you thinking?

“Not interested,” you replied automatically. Maybe you should invest in a fake engagement ring to make sure people knew you were taken. You weren’t, but they didn’t need to know that.

“You don’t even know me,” he drawled in your ear. “Come on, give me a chance.”

A wave of fear went through you. He was bigger than you, and the exit was behind him. “Please leave me alone, I didn’t come here to hook up.”

“No, but you might come here anyways, catch my drift?” His hand moved down your shoulder and you felt him try to tug on the zipper of your hoodie. “What’s underneath here?”

Now you were really freaked out. You jerked away from him. “Listen-“

“She _said_ she wasn’t interested!” One good punch sent the man flying into the dart board on the wall. It came crashing down right on the guy’s face.

You turned to see the man with the baseball cap as he glared at the fallen creeper. He looked over at Wanda apologetically. “Sorry for the disruption.”

“No worries, Bucky. That guy’s a jackass anyhow.” Wanda frowned. “Better get her out of here before he comes to, though.”

Your eyes volleyed between the two in confusion. “Why?”

“Because he’s gonna try harder next time,” Bucky replied, motioning for you to get up. “I can make sure you get home okay.”

“I have my car here,” you told him. “I can’t leave it.”

He ran a hand down his face. “All right. But I’m following you home.”

Your mouth opened and closed a few times to try to find the right words to protest. _This_ guy? Coming home with _you_?

“Stranger danger,” was all you could manage to say.

To your surprise, Bucky started chuckling. He had perfect white teeth, and these little crinkles around his eyes that made him even more handsome when he smiled.  

“My name’s Bucky Barnes.”

“I’m Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Nice to meet you, Y/N. See? Now we’re not strangers, and I promise I’ll lose your address,” he said. “So come on, before idiot here decides that he’s going to wake up and knock the both of us out.”

The thought of that guy even looking at you again was enough motivation to trust Bucky.

“Fine.” You stood up, tossing some bills down on the bar for Wanda. “Let’s go.”

When you pulled your car back into the driveway and cut the engine, you saw Bucky park his motorcycle along the curb. You got out and shut the car door quietly, then walked down to where he sat waiting.

“Thank you for punching that creeper,” you told him. “And thank you for making sure I made it home okay.”

“It’s not a problem,” Bucky replied. “My mom taught me to be a gentleman, and that guy was definitely crossing all sorts of lines.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Why, if you live here, were you all the way out there in a dive bar…by yourself…on Thanksgiving?”

You bit your lip. “My family drives me crazy. I normally live in the city by myself, and it’s just hard being back here, all smushed together in one house again.”

His eyes narrow a little. “So you put yourself in danger because you’re sick of spending quality time with your family?”

Now that he said it like that, you felt like an asshole. “Look, I know it must sound stupid to you, but they are always asking about my life and-”

Your voice trailed off when a brilliant idea struck. There was one surefire way to get your parents off your back.

“And?” Bucky stared at you in confusion. “You were saying?”

“How old are you?”

“Why?”

“Just curious.”

When he told you his age, you could hardly believe your luck. “And you’re single?”

“Yup. Why?”

“Why were you alone in a bar like that on Thanksgiving?”

He shrugged, looking down the road then back to you. His gaze wandered over your features for a moment before meeting your eyes again. “No family. I don’t usually go to seedy bars, but it was the only one open.”

You could understand that. It’s basically why you ended up there.

“No friends?”

Bucky smiled ruefully. “My best friend, Steve, invited me over, but…he’s got a wife, a couple kids, and some in-laws to worry about. I didn’t want to add to the list.”

Alone, single, considerate…this could work.

“Want to come in and give my family a little shock?”

“Uh…” He paused, scratching his head under the ball cap. “What?”

Your mouth quirked up. “You’ll get free food if you come in here and pretend to be my boyfriend for one night. What do you say?”

“You want to use me to make your family crazy? Didn’t you say they were already crazy?” Bucky eyed you incredulously. “They won’t have me arrested, right? Your dad isn’t gonna punch me?”

You burst out laughing. “Bucky, you knocked out a guy who was at least 250 pounds. I think you’ll be fine.”

His eyes looked past you to the door. “Looks like we’re busted anyways.”

“Y/N? What’s going on?” your mother’s worried voice carried over the yard to your ears.

“Nothing, Mom,” you replied quickly. “It’s just-“

Time to go for it. You motioned for Bucky to get off the motorcycle and he did, moving to stand beside you. He gave a little grunt when your fingers laced with his.

“My boyfriend’s finally here!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starts to get steamy at the end?

If you could have captured your mother’s expression in a photo when you introduced Bucky as your boyfriend, you’d have sent it as your Christmas card.

Her shock and your father’s reaction were going to get you through this Thanksgiving.

You led Bucky by the hand straight up the front walk to where your mother stood. Your little sister was peeking around her, trying to get a good look at this stranger you’d just brought home.

“Mom, this is-”

“James Barnes, ma’am, but everyone calls me Bucky,” he interrupted. Suddenly your fake boyfriend was a smooth gentleman, taking your mother’s hand in his and giving it a peck. “And who is that princess behind you?”

Your sister giggled, hiding her face. “I’m not a _princess_!”

“You are to me,” he said with a smile. “Ma’am, if it’s all right with you, Y/N here has invited me to dinner because I had no plans of my own. I don’t mean to intrude.”

“No, please come in,” your mother said, forcing a smile. “You’re welcome to join us, it’s just that Y/N never told us about you.”

“Well I hope I can rectify that.” Bucky looked at you and you shrugged. You had no idea how far this was going to go, you just wanted someone to save you from your family.

“Who is that, dear?” your father’s voice boomed from the dining room.

“It’s Y/N, and she’s brought her boyfriend this time!”

“ _Boyfriend_?”

This time Bucky turned to you with what could only be considered true fear in his eyes. You gave him a wink to let him know it was okay.

The two of you followed your mom and sister into the dining room, where a Thanksgiving feast was now laid out for the taking.

“Here, Bucky dear, sit here, and I’ll set another place.”

His face was calm, you had to give him credit for that. Your mom had put him right beside your father, who was sitting at the head of the table with a large carving knife as he prepared to slice the turkey. You took your place next to Bucky and sat down.

“So, son, tell me about yourself and why you’re putting your hands all over my daughter,” your dad said, tapping the knife against the turkey.

Bucky’s mouth opened and closed twice before you decided to step in.  

You were sure that was a scare tactic, which was interesting because he’d never done that to guys you brought home before.

“Dad! Can we please not embarrass him on his first time here?”

Bucky finally reacted, offering you a small smile. “It’s fine, Doll.” He turned back to your father. “Well, sir, I can honestly say that Y/N is one of the most…intriguing people I’ve ever met. She’s pretty no-nonsense about life, which is refreshing.”

“And what about you?” he asked Bucky, scrutinizing him.

“Bucky is smart and capable,” you blurted out. You weren’t even sure where that came from, but all the sudden you really wanted your dad to like him.

Both men turned their eyes to you.

You took that as a sign to continue. “He’s strong, and he’s got a great sense of right and wrong. He’d stand up for me and protect me if it came down to it.” You weren’t lying, since that had actually already happened back at the bar.

Your father studied your face for a second before a big grin broke out. “Well, then, Borky, I guess you’re all right for my little girl.”

“It’s, uh, _Bucky_ , sir.”

“That’s what I said!”

* * *

 

Dinner was a crazy success. It was crazy because you and Bucky had actually pulled off this ruse fairly easily. You found him to be utterly charming. About halfway through the dinner, he started smiling at you for no reason, and each time he did, your heart would flutter a little.

 _It’s all pretend,_ you had to remind yourself, as you helped your mom with the dishes. Bucky had wandered into the family room to watch some football game on TV with your father. Your little sister was sitting next to him, giggling at him and grinning a lot.

It seemed your whole family was already smitten with Bucky Barnes.

 _It’s too bad that come tomorrow, he’ll be gone,_ you thought mournfully.

“Something got you down, Y/N?”

You looked up at your mom with a sad smile. “No, just tired.”

“Ah, well, why don’t you go up and get ready for bed. We’re almost done here anyways.”

“Thank you.” You gave her a grateful look, turning to go up the stairs.

“Oh and Y/N, since you and Bucky aren’t engaged, he has to sleep on the couch!”

You stopped halfway up the stairs. “Uh, we didn’t talk about him staying here tonight, Mom.”

“Nonsense,” she said, waving her hands in the air. “Bucky, come here a moment!”

“Yes, Mrs. Y/L/N?” Bucky appeared at the bottom of the stairs, glancing up at you in question before turning back to your mother.

“Y/N is going to go to bed, and she seems to be under the impression that you aren’t staying tonight. It’s so late, I can’t imagine you heading out on your own now, especially on a motorcycle. I’ll make the couch up for you.”

“Oh no, ma’am, that really won’t be necessary, I-“

“Good then, that’s settled.” She ended the conversation with a sharp clap.

Bucky looked back at you helplessly, and you mouthed _I’m sorry._

* * *

 

It was well after one in the morning and your whole family was asleep by now, so you tiptoed downstairs to tell Bucky he didn’t really have to stay if he didn’t want to.

After your shower earlier, you had changed into comfy pajamas (ones that had tiny cats all over them) and wandered back downstairs to find Bucky playing cards with the rest of your family. They were teaching your little sister how to play Texas Hold ‘Em, and she had apparently done really well.

You had sat beside Bucky with a smirk, watching as he and your father faced off for the final hand. His cards were decent; he had three of a kind. But like the gentleman he is, when your father laid down his hand with two pairs, Bucky folded, and your father gleefully took the pot.

He told you after that he didn’t want your father to dislike him, which struck you as kind of strange since he barely knew _you_ , but you’d been too tired to question it.

Just when you really wanted to get some rest, your brain decided to work overtime, throwing ideas at you that you’d never considered before. Maybe he liked you and that’s why he wanted to stick around. Maybe he wanted to impress your father so he can come back. Maybe…

So there you were, treading as lightly as possible downstairs to the couch, where Bucky was laying under a quilt with his arm thrown over his eyes.

“Bucky,” you called out. “Are you sleeping?”

You saw his mouth curl into a grin. “If I was, your loud mouth would surely have woken me up anyways.”

“Ha-ha.”

He brought his arm down and opened his eyes to look at you. “What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”

“Not really,” you admitted. “I’m a little anxious, so I came to check on you. You don’t really have to stay if you don’t want to.”

“Won’t that look a little weird come morning?” The corner of his mouth quirked up again. “I’m fine here. I appreciate the company, to be honest. I’d have just been home by myself tonight.”

“Okay.”

After a few beats of comfortable silence, he sat up and lifted his blanket, silently inviting you to sit beside him.

Your stomach did the fluttery thing this time instead of your heart. _Nerves around a stranger,_ you decided, as you moved to sit beside him, tucking the blanket over your legs.

“Thanks for inviting me, even if it was all to trick your family,” Bucky murmured, his eyes roaming your face.

“You’re welcome,” you replied quietly. “It’s been…interesting.”

“Yes, it has,” he agreed. He ran a hand through his long hair, smoothing it back from his face, and you couldn’t help but stare at his strong jawline.

There was that damn flutter again.

Bucky’s brow lifted a little. “What’s on your mind, Doll?”

Now, this could go one of two ways.

You could lie and say stress from work or whatever. Or, you could let him know the truth.

“You,” you whispered, choosing the latter.

His eyes widened in surprise. “Me?”

You nodded, your gaze dropping to his lips for a moment. You wondered if they’d be soft, and you needed to find out.

This was _crazy_ , but you were always game for a little unconventionality.

You leaned over and pressed your lips to his gently.

Bucky didn’t react at first. In fact, it took so long you’d almost pulled away out of sheer mortification, before you felt his gentle touch on your neck as he began to kiss you back.

Yes, his lips were definitely soft.

You shifted closer until you were straddling his lap, never letting the kiss break. His hands moved down to your hips to hold you steady.  

The kisses between you became needier, more desperate, and your hands touched his hair, his neck, his chest, anything you could grab a hold of. His hands slipped down to your backside and gave a gentle squeeze, causing you to whimper into his mouth.

“Ah,” he panted, pulling back to rest his forehead against yours. “We can’t- what if someone catches us, your parents-“

You sat there on his lap for a moment, trying to catch your breath and come up with a plan. You were good at plans, right? Surely you could handle this.

When you moved off his lap, he protested with a groan. “Y/N, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin the mood.”

“Don’t just sit there,” you said over your shoulder as you made your way back up the stairs. “Come on, already!”

Bucky’s eyes widened as he got your meaning. He moved fast and suddenly he was behind you, urging you to go faster while you tried not to giggle too loud.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steamy at the beginning, but does Bucky really want only one thing from you? Nah.

The second your bedroom door closed, Bucky pinned you against it and placed searing open-mouthed kisses along your neck.

“I don’t usually do this,” he murmured against your skin.

“Could have fooled me,” you replied, arching your body against his to feel more – more him, more friction, _anything_. He nipped at your skin in response. “You seem to have all the right moves down.”

“We don’t even _know_ each other.” This time he pulled back to look at you, his blue-grey eyes stormy with hesitation. “I don’t think I can do this with your parents down the hall.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “What are you, a teenager?”

He ran a hand down his face. “No, I just…”

“Is it me?” you asked softly, looking away. “I know I’m probably not as hot as you’re used to-“

“Stop,” he said sharply, his hand lifting your chin gently so you’d look at him. “You’re beautiful. You’re sexy and gorgeous, and god, I _want you_ , I just-“

“Just what?” you whispered, afraid of the answer.

This was the part where the men realized you had feelings and bailed on you. It had happened time and time again; that’s why your family had been so surprised to see you with a boyfriend. You’d sworn them off over the summer after you discovered your last boyfriend, Drew, had not one, but _two_ side chicks.

Yeah, you were used to this rejection.

Bucky’s eyes softened. The way he was looking at you…it kind of gave you some hope.

“I don’t want to ruin this,” he said finally. “It’s been so long since I felt anything for a woman, and I know we just met…but I just…” He paused, then shook his head. “This is fast. I don’t want to rush things and ruin it.”

Your eyes searched his for any hint of lie. “Bucky, if you need an out, you can just tell me, you know that right? I don’t want you to think I brought you here for this.”

He shook his head. “It’s not an out. For fuck’s sake, why can’t I just…” He moved away from you, running a frustrated hand through his long hair. “It’s been _so long_ , I don’t even know how to talk to a woman anymore.”

You reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder, frowning when he flinched. “It’s okay, Bucky, I promise.”

“No,” he disagreed, looking up at you then, eyes intense. “It isn’t. I’m so out of touch that I made a beautiful woman think herself _undesirable_. God, Y/N, if you could feel what you do to me, how you made me feel after one evening, you’d never question yourself again.”

“We don’t even know each other,” you echoed his words from earlier.

“I want to change that.” He grabbed your hand from his shoulder and grasped tightly. “I’m not a one night stand kind of guy. I want you – want _this_ – but I need to do it the right way. Is that okay?”

You nearly laughed out loud, but didn’t want to make him think you were laughing at him. “You certainly have a way with words, Bucky Barnes.”

His mouth quirked up a little, his eyes showing a new tiredness. “So, does that mean you are willing to give us a real shot? Let me take you on a date, maybe woo you a little?”

You reached out a hand and gently caressed his cheekbone before brushing the hair back from his face. “I think I’d like that, actually. I’d like that a lot.”

Bucky breathed a sigh of relief. “I should go back down to the couch before anyone gets suspicious.”

The parting kiss he gave you was one for the record books, in your opinion. Your toes literally curled against the carpeted floor as he pressed his mouth to yours tenderly. He held you as if you were something precious.

For a man you’d just met, he was already treating you like you were something worth holding on to.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he breathed against your lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Bucky. See you tomorrow.”

The next morning, you made sure that you were showered and dressed early, with your hair and makeup done. You felt a little silly since Bucky had seen you without all of it already (hell, he’d seen you in your cat pajamas), but you didn’t want to risk him changing his mind in the morning light.

You practically ran down the stairs, only to find the quilt neatly folded, not a trace of Bucky to be found. A quick peek out the window told you his motorcycle was gone, too.

Your heart sank. Had he really gone, even after all his sweet words last night?

None of this made any sense. This wasn’t normal…who gets this attached to someone overnight? It was just meant to be a one-time thing. He was just a means to survive Thanksgiving with your family.

You were naïve if you _thought_ that somehow this man would turn into anything more than that. You didn’t even know him. He had no reason to stick around, and you had no right to expect anything from him…

_Why were you always such a goddamn romantic?_

You wiped furiously at the traitorous tears that stung your eyes. If he could see you now, he’d probably laugh. Your ex-boyfriend Drew would probably have given him a high-five for this.

That’s it, you were swearing off rom-coms for good. No more romantic movies, no more unobtainable goals, no more longing for love. You were done.

_Screw it._

With a deep breath, you turned and marched into the hallway, grabbing your jacket, bag and keys. It was time to go back home; you couldn’t stand another second around this house.

“Mom, Dad, I’m going back to the city now,” you yelled, hoping that they would hear you and just yell back so you wouldn’t have to say goodbye again.

You hated goodbyes.

Then again, no one responded to you. There wasn’t a sound in the house.

You frowned, turning to glance around. “Mom? Dad?”

“You were going to leave without saying goodbye? I thought we had something going here.”

You whirled around and came face-to-face with Bucky. “I- I thought you left already? Your motorcycle…?”

The corner of his mouth lifted in amusement. “Your dad made me park it in the garage. He said the neighbors were eyeing it. Frankly, I think he just wanted to have a look at it himself.” Bucky took a few steps closer to you. “You really thought that I would ever leave without telling you?”

“I’m used to being left,” you admitted softly, glancing away. You didn’t want him to see any trace of how upset you’d gotten.

“Doll, I know we don’t know each other very well, but I’m a man of my word.”

When you met his gaze again, he took a few steps closer until he was standing right in front of you.

He shook his head once. “I’m not running…are you?”

“No,” you whispered, completely captivated by the tender look in his eyes.

“Good.”

His smile was so bright, so genuine, that you grabbed him into a tight hug, burying your face in his neck.

“I’m sorry,” you said in a muffled voice. “I’m not usually like this.”

Bucky laughed, his arms encircling you. “That makes two of us, Doll.”

You lifted your face up to look at him, and were rewarded with a chaste kiss.

“There you two are, we’ve been waiting out front for you! Let’s go, before your father eats his steering wheel! Never get between him and his breakfast.” Your mom stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips expectantly.

Almost sheepishly, you unwound yourself from his arms. “What are you talking about?”

Bucky kissed your temple. “Your mom invited me to come to breakfast with your family. Apparently there’s a diner they want to show me in town.”

“Best breakfast in the area,” your mom declared, clapping her hands. “Now let’s move. I don’t want to explain to the Honda repair shop why there are chunks missing from the car.”

You smiled warmly at Bucky. “Having breakfast with my family now, eh?”

He grinned back at you. “Gotta make a good impression somehow, Doll.” He reached for your hand and intertwined your fingers, then pulled you along to follow your mom to the car.

“I don’t wanna seem anything less than thankful for you, after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for a holiday-theme challenge, so...


End file.
